Team profile

Kazakhstan made their debut in the 2015 edition of the FIVB Volleyball World League. They are now ranked No.40 in the world. In their second appearance, they are pitted against Greece, Puerto Rico and Chinese Taipei in Group 3’s Pool C, which will be played in Kozani, Greece. They will have a chance to perform better when they have home advantage in Almaty in the second week, when they face Spain, Germany and Chinese Taipei in Pool F. Under coach Andrey Patrakov, the team did not qualify for the Poland 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship and last competed in that event in 2006, when they finished 21st, two places lower than their only other appearance in Argentina 2002. At the 2014 Asian Games they won three of their seven matches. A defeat to Chinese Taipei gave them an overall rank of 10th.

Since Kazakhstan's independence in 1992 they have competed at 10 Asian Championships. Their best result was a silver medal in 1993 and a year later they took fourth at the Asian Games. More recently in 2015 they finished ninth at the Asian Championships after winning over Pakistan in a classification match. In 2014, they took third in the AVC Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Coach

Gilyazutdinov Rafail

Rafail Gilyazutdinov was named Kazakhstan coach in early 2016 having carved out an impressive career in the Kazakhstan Championship. He started working as a coach in 2001 with Condensat where he picked up a silver medal during the 2003 and 2004 Kazakhstan Championships. In 2004 he was named assistant coach of the Kazakh men’s team, while in 2007 he also took the helm of Almaty VC where he has helped deliver three Kazakhstan Championship titles. Prior to becoming a coach Gilyazutdinov was a professional volleyball player in Kazakhstan, Turkey, Cyprus and Saudi Arabia.